Potential for Exposure to Particles and Gases Throughout Vat Photopolymerization Additive Manufacturing Processes

Details

• Personal Author:
  Bowers LN ; Burns, Dru A. ; Knepp AK ; LeBouf, Ryan F. ; Martin SB Jr. ; Ranpar AC ; Stefaniak, Aleksandr B. ; Virji, M. Abbas
• Description:
  Vat photopolymerization (VP), a type of additive manufacturing process that cures resin to build objects, can emit potentially hazardous particles and gases. We evaluated two VP technologies, stereolithography (SLA) and digital light processing (DLP), in three separate environmental chambers to understand task-based impacts on indoor air quality. Airborne particles, total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs), and/or specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were monitored during each task to evaluate their exposure potential. Regardless of duration, all tasks released particles and organic gases, though concentrations varied between SLA and DLP processes and among tasks. Maximum particle concentrations reached 1200 #/cm3 and some aerosols contained potentially hazardous elements such as barium, chromium, and manganese. TVOC concentrations were highest for the isopropyl alcohol (IPA) rinsing, soaking, and drying post-processing tasks (up to 36.8 mg/m3), lowest for the resin pouring pre-printing, printing, and resin recovery post-printing tasks (up to 0.1 mg/m3), and intermediate for the curing post-processing task (up to 3 mg/m3). Individual VOCs included, among others, the potential occupational carcinogen acetaldehyde and the immune sensitizer 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (pouring, printing, recovery, and curing tasks). Careful consideration of all tasks is important for the development of strategies to minimize indoor air pollution and exposure potential from VP processes. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Aerosols Air Pollutants, Occupational Air Pollution, Indoor Occupational Health Particulate Matter Printing, Three-Dimensional Safety Volatile Organic Compounds
• Keywords:
  3-dimensional Printing 3D Printing Airborne Particles Author Keywords: Ultrafine Particles Emission Sources Gases IAQ Indoor Air Quality Particulates Tasks Three Dimensional Printing VOCs Volatile Organic Compounds

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• ISSN:
  2075-5309
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  OSHA Region 3 ; West Virginia
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  RHD - Respiratory Health Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Volume:
  12
• Issue:
  8
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20066114
• Citation:
  Buildings 2022 Aug; 12(8):1222
• Contact Point Address:
  Aleksandr B. Stefaniak, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Morgantown, WV 26505
• Email:
  astefaniak@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2022
• NORA Priority Area:
  Manufacturing
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Buildings
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:82038de1f55866bd56516d39ebdd7d93e2883b972f916b847afe4c9ac7daab61a8ddf3cf13b5d3ce2adbdf0883ef7e6662950b883248a371656a2d205d2b927a
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/212629/cdc_212629_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 736.97 KB ]